System and method for simulated aircraft control through desired direction of flight

Abstract

An aircraft control system for a user of a simulated aircraft. The system includes input devices for controlling the simulated aircraft, a video display having three-dimensional graphics, modeling software for determining position and orientation information based on desired direction of flight obtained through the input devices. User controls desired direction of flight through the input devices, thus controlling aircraft. The aircraft control system may be embodied as a flight game.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An aircraft control system for a user of a simulated aircraft using a desired direction of flight, comprising:
 a video device for presenting the user with a view of a simulated environment; 
 a processor executing a model of aircraft parameters, wherein the model is responsive to the desired direction of flight for determining position and orientation of the simulated aircraft; 
 wherein the processor analyzes rotation moments needed to be applied to the simulated aircraft to fly along the desired direction of flight and modifies a simulated aircraft state to align the aircraft with the desired direction of flight; and 
 at least one input device for controlling the desired direction of flight. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising showing a graphical element on the video device corresponding to the desired direction of flight. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the graphical element is a circle. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the graphical element is a cross-hairs. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 2 , wherein in response to the graphical element moving on the video device, parameters of the simulated aircraft, including its ailerons, elevator and rudder are changed so as to bring a direction of flight of the simulated aircraft aligned with the desired direction of flight. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , further providing a camera view of the simulated aircraft such that the desired direction of flight is in a center of the camera view. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system provides, as its outputs, an aileron control value, and elevator control value, and a rudder control value, which correspond to physical parameters of the simulated aircraft. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input device is any of a mouse, a touch screen, a touchpad, a gamepad, a virtual reality glove or virtual reality headtracker, a WiiMote, a PS Move, a Razer Hydra, a Kinect, a gesture recognition device, a trackball, a keyboard, and a joystick. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational moments are calculated based on a full aerodynamic model of the simulated aircraft. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the model receives, as its inputs, current aircraft linear speed, current aircraft linear acceleration, current aircraft angular speed, current aircraft angular acceleration, current aircraft orientation, and the desired direction of flight. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates an absolute desired direction of flight. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates a difference from a current direction of flight. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a server verifies that flight parameters transmitted by the system correspond to modeled parameters of a real aircraft. 
     
     
       14. In a system for simulating an aircraft, the system having a processor, an input device, and a video display for displaying a simulated environment, a method of controlling a simulated aircraft using a desired direction of flight, the method comprising steps of:
 (a) receiving signals from an input device, the signals indicative of a change of desired direction of flight indicated by a user on a video display; 
 (b) calculating in the processor rotational moments required to align the simulated aircraft with the desired direction of flight; 
 (c) applying the rotational moments to simulated aircraft and its control surfaces; 
 (d) calculating of new position and orientation of simulated aircraft after applying the rotational moments; 
 (e) simultaneously displaying on the video display a view of the simulated environment and simulated aircraft; and 
 (f) repeating steps (a)-(e). 
 
     
     
       15. An aircraft game system, comprising:
 a server hosting game logic; 
 the server receiving data from a plurality of users, wherein some of the users utilize 
 (i) a video device for presenting the user with a view of a simulated environment; 
 (ii) a processor executing a model of aircraft parameters, wherein the model is responsive to the desired direction of flight for determining position and orientation of the simulated aircraft; 
 (iii) wherein the processor analyzes rotation moments needed to be applied to the simulated aircraft to fly along the desired direction of flight and modifies a simulated aircraft state to align the aircraft with the desired direction of flight; and 
 (iv) at least one input device for controlling the desired direction of flight.